The Middle East Negotiating Dance: Same Old Tune, Different Ballroom
When Al-Monitor reports that 'Iran is also pushing to move the negotiations to Oman and to exclude its missile program from the talks,' one might wonder if they're recycling an article from a decade ago. Curiously, this particular tune has been playing on repeat. FIRST INSTANCE: The JCPOA Prelude (2013-2015) Prior to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran successfully moved many
preliminary discussions to Oman or other neutral venues, consistently pushing to exclude its ballistic missile program and its regional activities from the nuclear deal's scope. The Obama administration, eager for a deal, largely conceded these points, focusing almost exclusively on uranium enrichment ( Council on Foreign Relations, 2015 ). Regional powers, particularly Saudi Arabia and the UAE,
were explicitly sidelined, their anxieties dismissed as 'distractions' from the nuclear goal. REPETITIONS: The JCPOA Aftermath and Revival Attempts (2021-2022) Even after the US withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018, when efforts to revive the deal began under the Biden administration, Iran once again insisted on venue changes (often to Vienna, but with significant Omani involvement behind the scenes)
and steadfastly refused to discuss its missile program or regional proxies. This stance led to protracted delays and ultimately, no significant changes to its missile capabilities or regional destabilization efforts ( International Crisis Group, 2022 ). The message was clear: Iran dictates the agenda, or there's no agenda. OUTCOMES: A Pattern of Unchecked Power Projection Each time, Iran's tactics